Ask any Liverpool supporter about their reaction to just about everything right now and Kopites will utter the words ‘Jurgen Klopp’.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager is hotly tipped to become Brendan Rodgers’ successor in the Anfield hotseat any day now and on the face of it, he looks like an outstanding appointment.
Winning back-to-back league titles with Dortmund to break the Bundesliga dominance of Bayern Munich back in 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons, Klopp’s credentials are good and we mustn’t forget he also took Borussia to a Champions League Final back in 2013.
For many Liverpool fans right now, the appointment of Klopp will also give the club a new dimension in the transfer market with former players of his possibly being more willing to sign up at Anfield given his presence.
Despite a disappointing season last term, Dortmund still boast sought-after players such as Marco Reus, Ilkay Gundogan, Mats Hummels and Pierre-Emericak Aubameyang and with Klopp set to come in, he could perhaps swoop for some of those names in the January transfer window.
With this very fact in mind, we’ve devised what we believe to be the best Liverpool XI under prospective new boss Jurgen Klopp with Marco Reus metaphorically included.
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Click on the image below to reveal the best Liverpool XI under Jurgen Klopp including Marco Reus.
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Simon Mignolet
Not a dream choice between the sticks for any Liverpool supporter, at least Simon Mignolet hasn’t been as bad this term as he was at the start of last season.
Going through a tough time of it in the early part of 2014/15, the Belgian international seemed to lose all of his confidence altogether but fortunately turned around his performances in the second half of last season.
One of those players who is fantastic on his day but these days not nearly coming regularly enough, many Liverpool fans believe they could upgrade on Mignolet in the next few transfer windows.
Nathaniel Clyne
Signed from Southampton for what we believe to be a bargain £12.5 million fee in the summer, Nathaniel Clyne has taken to life at Liverpool rather seamlessly.
An England international nowadays, Clyne has continued to display his attacking prowess down the right hand side for Liverpool and is well suited to playing a wing back role that Brendan Rodgers installed this season.
As we know, Liverpool have threw away large sums of money on several mediocre players over the last few transfer windows but in Clyne, he is somebody who should prove good value for money in the long run.
Martin Skrtel
Usually accepted as Liverpool’s best defender, Martin Skrtel earns his place in this Reds XI but make no mistake; he’s far from being error-free.
With Liverpool’s defensive ranks letting them down so far this season, the onus is on Skrtel and his defensive colleagues to ramp up their individual performances but when playing at his peak, few Premier League defenders are as aggressive and solid as the Slovakian international.
A long-time servant of the Reds now, Skrtel knows exactly what expectations are placed on Liverpool in the pursuit of major honours and he’ll continue to prove a leader in the dressing room and behind the scenes as well as out on the field.
Mamadou Sakho
Not every Liverpool supporters’ cup of tea, Mamadou Sakho hasn’t done brilliant in English football but hasn’t totally been a disaster either.
In and out of the team having been rotated with Dejan Lovren, Sakho would hope for more regular game time in Liverpool’s starting eleven in a Euro 2016 season but he remains something of a bit-part player at present.
Susceptible to the red mist as well as a few erratic decisions in the Reds’ back line, we can’t help but feel Reds supporters should be expecting a lot more from a defender who was praised in all quarters having graduated through Paris Saint-Germain’s academy ranks.
Alberto Moreno
While Joe Gomez has started more games at left back than Alberto Moreno this term, we still think that the Spanish international would prove Jurgen Klopp’s first choice in the position going forward.
Having seen his stock fall since arriving from Sevilla last summer, Moreno is still a decent player on his day and fulfils the duties of a modern day full back by bombing on as well as producing good defensive work in equal measure.
Like many other of Liverpool’s purchases over the last few seasons, the problem with Moreno is his consistency but there’s no doubting he’s a talented player on his day with the Spaniard having broke through into La Roja’s international set-up back in 2013.
James Milner
Not enjoying the most electric start to his Liverpool career, if we’re honest James Milner was never going to blow anybody away given his status as one of the workmen in sides he’s represented in the past.
In reality, the player was brought in as a kind of replacement for Steven Gerrard in the centre of the park but it would be unfair on Milner to compare him to the Anfield great.
Registering a well taken goal against Aston Villa two weekends ago, Milner will always give you a 7 out of 10 kind of performance and this will prove vital going forward with Liverpool needing to haul themselves up the Premier League table from 10th position at present.
Jordan Henderson
Having been missing from Liverpool’s starting line-up through injury of late, the Reds have missed the up and down running abilities of Jordan Henderson in the centre of the park.
A better player than people give him credit for, Henderson’s performances were that much more convincing last term and there’s no doubting that Liverpool are a better team with his dynamism in the engine room.
Somebody who is capable of running all day, Henderson also added more goals to his game last term and as far as Kopites are concerned, the sooner he is back, the better.
Philippe Coutinho
The outstanding member of Liverpool’s squad right now, it ended up being to Brendan Rodgers’ detriment that several of his signings just weren’t up to scratch like Philippe Coutinho was.
An absolute bargain buy from Inter Milan for £8.5 million, Coutinho has lived up to the billing at Anfield where so many others have failed and the Brazilian is a goalscorer, assist maker and all round flair player.
Suffering whenever he isn’t able to be called upon, Coutinho is now Liverpool’s go-to player for creativity in Luis Suarez’s absence and given his versatility, he is able to put in good performances wherever he is deployed in Liverpool’s attack.
Marco Reus
No strangers to being linked with the signature of Marco Reus, the impending appointment of Jurgen Klopp will do nothing to cease these rumours firing up again.
An outstanding player, Reus has really rose to prominence over the past couple of seasons although some critics may claim he is too injury prone for somebody in the peak years of their development.
A source of goals and assists in equal measure, Liverpool really need to land somebody such as Reus for their own status as a big club with the likes of Adam Lallana, Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino being good players but not great ones.
Missing out on Alexis Sanchez to Arsenal last summer, you really feel that Liverpool need to land a truly marquee name in the transfer market to give everybody at the club a huge lift.
Daniel Sturridge
Having been incredibly frustrated at his poor injury record, no Reds supporter was thinking that when Daniel Sturridge struck a brace on his comeback to the Liverpool fold against Aston Villa two weekends ago.
Not even totally fit, the England international took both of his goals expertly while reminding everybody just how clinical he can be in front of the opposition’s net.
Somebody who is quick, direct and clinical in his finishing, there’s no doubting that Liverpool greatly missed Sturridge’s abilities when he was out injured and in part, this is perhaps a reason why Brendan Rodgers ended up losing his job.
Christian Benteke
Enjoying a good, if not absolutely fantastic start to his Liverpool career, there’s no doubting that Christian Benteke will get goals with the Reds; it’s just a case of how many.
Eyebrows were raised when Liverpool completed the signing of the Belgian international given they like to play a lot of their football on the floor but in fairness to Benteke, he’s fitted in better than some expected.
With his fantastic overhead kick goal at Manchester United proving the highlight so far, there will be more to come from Benteke who has definitely outshone the over big name arrival at Liverpool this summer in Roberto Firmino.
